Main Committee I adopts the 20 substantive articles

The second day of the WIPO Diplomatic Conference in Beijing began with a meeting of Main Committee I, the committee responsible for the work on the substantive articles of the Treaty, chaired by Manuel Guerra Zamarro of Mexico. He fed back the results of the first informal consutative session, which had taken place immediately preceding the committee meeting and was attended by regional coordinators and 3 additional delegates per region. He noted the positive and constructive atmosphere in the exchanges and proposed that the Main Committtee I could now usefully proceed towards the adoption of the agreed 19 articles and the agreed language on article 12. There were no objections and the articles 1-20 were adopted by the Committee.

The Chair then offered some feedback on the discussions in the informal consultative sessions, noting that there had been a positive and open exchange regarding the agreed statements. He suggested reconvening those informal sessions in order to continue working on the three agreed statements and the preambular consideration which are still under discussion. Regional group meetings were also scheduled.

In the afternoon, there was a plenary meeting to hear the remaining opening declarations of national delegations and of the observer organisations. The Member State declarations continued in the same positive spirit as the day before, with a strong commitment on the part of Member States to successfully concluding the Treaty. Following the Member State interventions, observer organisations also urged the successful conclusion of the negotiations.

Australian actor Simon Burke, President of Australian Equity and member of the FIA delegation, took the floor on behalf of FIA, recalling the vital protection that the treaty will offer performers around the world. There was laughter as he recalled the path that had “finally brought to an end the longest coffee break in WIPO history.” He noted that with the adoption of the 20 articles by Main Committee I, the Treaty was now almost within grasp and that the Conference was close to an historic achievement. As a concluding remark he added “It is fair to say that no Diplomatic Conference in the field of copyright and neighbouring rights has ever been prepared with such great care, carrying with it the unconditional support of all industry stakeholders. We are so, so unbelievably close to a truly historic achievement, which would allow all performers to enjoy meaningful benefits from a combination of economic and moral rights. The time is now. We look forward to the successful conclusion of this Diplomatic Conference and the momentous occasion of witnessing the birth of this Beijing Treaty.”

You can download the full text of Simon Burke's Opening Declaration on behalf of FIA below.